Hey, back when I believed in Santa Claus, at least I tried to verify him with evidence! There were the half-eaten cookies set out for Santa, the half-drunk glass of milk, the thank-you note from Santa for the refreshments for his long journey, and even ashen footprints on the hearth (which never got on the carpet, because Santa obviously didn't want to make too much of a mess).

The fact that my parents were the ones fabricating the evidence doesn't change the fact that I at least was trying to use it; I was just a little boy and did not know how to do it very well yet.

That can't be said of the hundreds of thousands of scientists over the years whose work has validated the ToE and never overturned it, even when they tried to do so. Even when individuals do make mistakes or succumb to hoaxes, these are eventually discovered, BY OTHER SCIENTISTS, and the situation is corrected -- and still the ToE stands firm.

The only deception going on here is that perpetrated by those whose faith is threatened by facts that are inconveniently inconsistent with it. I only misinterpreted evidence for Santa; fundies are the ones who ignore reality to deliberately manufacture evidence in support of their own fantasy.